The Epigenetics of Sex in the Dragon

遗传密码不能直接转化为表型——环境通过表观遗传学来改变发育。我们使用先进的分子技术来研究表观遗传学如何对温度做出反应，从而在我们的新动物模型中逆转性别，龙蜥蜴。细胞是如何感知温度的？一旦外部信号被捕获，它如何影响染色质修饰以释放或抑制性别分化途径中的关键基因？哪些性别基因是目标？表观遗传酶是惊人的保守，提供了令人兴奋的机会，从人类系统中揭示温度诱导的爬行动物性别转换的新特征。这个项目将促进发展规划的知识。

Genetic codes do not directly translate to phenotypes -- environment acts through epigenetics to modify development. We use advanced molecular techniques to examine how epigenetics responds to temperature to reverse sex in our novel animal model, the dragon lizard. How does the cell sense temperature? Once the extrinsic signal is captured, how does it influence chromatin modification to release or suppress key genes in the sex differentiation pathway? Which sex genes are targets? Epigenetic enzymes are astonishingly conserved, providing exciting opportunities to draw from human systems to unravel novel signatures of temperature-induced sex switching in reptiles. This project will advance knowledge of developmental programming generally.